Crimes tarnish the holiday season in 1900

The Christmas holiday in 1900 Stevens Point must have been a rough one for many people as when I checked the circuit court records, there were a number of cases involving robberies or thefts. Seems everyone was looking for some "easy money" for holiday shopping. What follows are three of the most interesting cases on the docket.

Anton Weiland actually tried getting his illegal Christmas cash twice. First he was arrested for burglarizing the COD Store, but although it was thought he would not be held in jail on that, his freedom was short-lived anyway. A warrant for his arrest charging him with highway robbery was issued at Christmas by Judge Park, ensuring that if released for the first offense, he would be arrested for the latter one.

The complaining witness in the case was Bartholomew Powpokowski. He told the police that on the evening of Nov. 13, Weiland knocked him down with a club and robbed him of a wallet valued at $1, and bank notes and silver certificates worth $1,000. When the arrest warrant was filed, however, it stated the amount stolen was $2,000. Perhaps there was an adjustment due to inflation over a month's time?

Anyway, Powpokowski and Weiland were in the Curran & Wasner Saloon when Powpokowski was supposedly exhibiting his wad of cash, and a bit later when he left, Weiland robbed him.

Evidently, drinking was the undoing of more than one gentleman that holiday season because there is the story of Chris Redanz, who accused Charles Cash of robbing him of, well, cash.

That robbery supposedly went down at the King & Firkus Saloon while Redanz was feeling the holiday "spirits," if you know what I mean.

While Redanz was in the bathroom, Cash was reported to have entered, stuck his hand in Redanz's pocket, and removed his money and a pocket knife. Saloon witnesses, including Frank Degan and Art Miller, said they saw Cash enter the room right after Redanz.

Immediately after exiting the bathroom, Cash went to Degan's blacksmith shop and settled a $2 account, stating he had gotten lucky in a poker game. However, minutes later when Redanz, accompanied by Art Miller, entered Degan's business, Cash ran off with the cash out through a back door with Redanz and Miller in hot pursuit.

Well, being winter, perhaps it was cold pursuit.

Anyway, when they finally caught Cash, he tried to offer the robbed man a dollar to leave him alone and while trying to get the buck from his pocket, Redanz's pocket knife fell to the ground - further proof that Cash was indeed the thief.

Once Cash was arrested, unable to post $500 cash bond (pun not intended here), he was parked in the pokey.

The problem was, once the complaint was filed, Redanz went missing. This did not leave the county officials with much holiday spirit, having to keep Cash incarcerated at their expense, while trying to locate Redanz.

Meanwhile, over at the home of the affluent Mr. and Mrs. McDill, another young man tried a different way to get some extra Christmas money. Arriving at the McDill residence while the owners were out of town, the fellow told the hired girl that he had been sent by Mr. McDill to repair some locks on the desk. The unwitting girl escorted him to the library, but was wise enough to stay with him. She watched him open some unlocked drawers in both secretaries and try some of the locked drawers. He finally stated that he would have to "send for something" to make the needed repairs and took his leave. Mr. McDill had sent no one and of course the "repairman" never returned.

I will assume that young man had a lackluster Christmas unable to buy gifts without money, and surely not receiving any presents, because as we all know, Santa was watching and knew the guy was naughty.

One can hope the rest of the residents of Stevens Point had a great holiday in 1900 though, and I hope yours in 2013 was as well. See you next year, loyal readers.

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Crimes tarnish the holiday season in 1900

The Christmas holiday in 1900 Stevens Point must have been a rough one for many people as when I checked the circuit court records, there were a number of cases involving robberies or thefts. Seems

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